From the Director: Crossing the Aisle

Published Friday, March 01, 2013

From its beginnings, the TREAT Asia program has tried to find ways to link different areas of the HIV world together. We not only conduct research—we also teach clinicians how to be researchers. We not only train medical professionals—we also provide educational opportunities to the broader HIV community. We not only gather data—we also seek out ways to turn information into action. This issue of the TREAT Asia Report exemplifies this core principle and shows why we are committed to a multidisciplinary approach.

We profile two new studies looking at hepatitis C co-infection and human papillomavirus in adolescents, both of which have policy implications for improving the quality of adult and pediatric HIV care in the region. We are launching a new section called “Insight,” which will provide policy updates on issues related to HIV treatment access and human rights. In our interview with Nobel Laureate and International AIDS Society President Dr. Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, the co-discoverer of HIV explains why we need to find more ways to bring together scientists from multiple disciplines and the private sector in order to find a cure for HIV. “Crossing the aisle”—whether between prevention and treatment or science and community—is essential to achieving our common goals.